Hobbes' View of Morality

The philosopher Thomas Hobbes noticed four important facts about the human condition:

Four Facts of the Human Condition:

Equality of Need

We all basically require the same things in the same amounts for our survival.

Equality of Ability

Even though exceptional individuals may be faster, stronger, or smarter, we all on average have the same abilities.

Scarcity of Resources

There are not enough resources available for everyone to have as much as they want.

Limited Altruism (=Limited Egoism)

For any person, there are only a few people for whom the person feels obligated. To see this, ask yourself, "For how many people would I be willing to risk my life to save theirs?" Most people say 3 or 4. Some say as many as 10.

Taken together, these four facts imply the state of nature.

"the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short"

--Hobbes, Leviathan

Negate any one of the conditions, and the state of nature is avoided. Since there is only one condition over which we have any realistic control, Hobbes concludes that morality is a matter of denying our Limited Altruism (or, equivalently, Limited Egoism) natures so as to avoid the State of Nature.